.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Monday, December 30
Oxford, Miss.
6:30 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Alcorn State
Women’s Basketball Closes Out Non-Conference Slate Against Alcorn State
12/29/2024 | Women's Basketball
OXFORD, Miss. – Following a short break for the holidays, Ole Miss women's basketball will cap off its non-conference schedule by hosting Alcorn State on Monday, Dec. 30. The Rebels will look to earn their ninth win before conference play commences, a feat Ole Miss hopes to achieve for the fourth consecutive season. Tipoff against the Lady Braves from the SJB Pavilion is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, streaming on SEC Network+.
TEAM FACTS
No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels (8-3, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 7th Season at Ole Miss (111-87) • 12th Season in Career (205-150)
Alcorn State Lady Braves (2-8, 0-0 SWAC)
Head Coach: Nate Kilbert • 5th Season at Alcorn State (36-80) • 23rd Season in Career (215-426)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Will Kollmeyer
Color: Lindsay King
Reporter: Ashton Southern
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
OLE MISS VS. ALCORN STATE
Monday's matchup will mark the 18th all-time matchup between Ole Miss and Alcorn State in a series that dates to 1980. The Rebels are 16-1 against the Lady Braves, with all their wins coming consecutively. Alcorn State won the first game of the series in 1980, 70-66, but Ole Miss has gone undefeated since then. In total, the Rebels have dropped 90-plus points on the Lady Braves five times in 18 matches.
Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin is 3-0 against the Lady Braves in her tenure in Oxford. Her second win against Alcorn State being the most impressive, as Ole Miss tallied its most recent 100-point performance to date on Dec. 8, 2020. The Rebels won 104-48, which is also the eighth-widest margin of victory in Ole Miss history. It's the highest-scoring game by a Coach Yo led Rebel team. Ole Miss shot 61.54 percent from the field, the second most efficient scoring day in program history, as six players went for double figures.
Last season, Ole Miss claimed a 76-37 victory over Alcorn State in the series' most recent battle. Alcorn State's 37 points were the fewest allowed by Ole Miss last season as the Rebels recorded a team season-high 17 steals. Madison Scott has reached double figures against Alcorn State in both of her games against them.
In the spirit of Ole Miss celebrating 50 years of women's hoops, the Rebels reached a significant milestone against Alcorn State on Feb. 18, 1987. Ole Miss earned an 89-55 victory over Alcorn State, marking the 300th victory in the history of the program. The Rebels have gone on to more than triple that total in the 38 seasons since.
SCOUTING THE LADY BRAVES
Nate Kilbert leads Alcorn State in his fifth year at the helm. The Lady Braves are 2-8 entering Monday's matchup, and have faced three Power Four teams thus far. Ole Miss will mark the third and final opponent from the SEC for Alcorn State this season.
In its two victories, Alcorn State has averaged 88.5 points, including a 106-point performance against Mississippi University for Women. Six players reached double-digit scoring in that game, which featured a 16-point performance from Kailyn Watkins off the bench.
Alcorn State returns nine players from last year's roster, including 6-foot-3 forward Destiny Brown. The senior picked up where she left off in 2023-24, leading the Lady Braves on both ends of the court. Brown averages 11.3 points per game and tops the SWAC in blocks with 2.0 per game. Brown paced Alcorn State last season with 12.6 points per game.
Ashanti Backus runs the point for Alcorn State, where she's dished a team-leading 19 assists. Her 1.9 steals per game is also top-five in the SWAC.
Adams State transfer Sharmanye Finley has the highest shooting percentage for the team. Finley averages 8.7 points in six appearances so far this season while shooting .469 from the field. Maya Hunkin-Claytor is the biggest threat from long distance for Alcorn State, where she's shooting .314 in the first 10 games.
REBELS AGAINST THE SWAC
Ole Miss has historically dominated members of the SWAC, as it possesses a 95-7 record against members of the conference.
The Rebels are 4-0 this season against SWAC opponents entering Monday's contest. Ole Miss has won the last 18 matchups against SWAC opponents. McPhee-McCuin has led the charge in the last 17 wins.
Ole Miss outscored its four opponents by a combined 328-136 and have averaged 82 points per contest.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss earned its eighth 30-plus point margin victory of the season after besting Mississippi Valley State, 78-44, at the SJB Pavilion.
The Rebels saw all five of their starters reach double-digit scoring. This is the first time since facing Louisiana on Dec. 12, 2018, that all five Rebel starters have reached double figures.
Madison Scott highlighted the day for the Rebels as she earned her 29th career double-double. The fifth-year senior had 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Devilettes, marking her first double-double of the 2024-25 season. She joins Starr Jacobs as the only Rebels to achieve that feat so far this season. Scott also led the team with six assists against MVSU. It's the fifth time this season that Scott has paced the Rebels in dime dropping.
IN OUR DEFENSE
It's well known that Ole Miss aims to dictate and disrupt, a goal the Rebel defense has accomplished in the non-conference slate.
Ole Miss has held the No. 1 spot in the nation for fewest points allowed per game since Dec. 15. Holding opponents to just 47.2 points per game, the Rebels will strive to remain the best defensive team in their final contest of 2024.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
True freshman guard Sira Thienou has wasted little time making her mark as an Ole Miss Rebel as the Bamako, Mali, native has been tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week twice this season, on Nov. 26 and Dec. 17. These recognitions mark the first such honors of her young career and the first awards of its type for an Ole Miss player since Madison Scott earned the same accolade six times as a true freshman during the 2020-21 season.
Thienou scored in double figures in three straight outings for the Rebels in November, including consecutive 16-point outbursts against Jackson State (Nov. 18) and Boston College (Nov. 25). The last true freshman to record double-digit scoring efforts in three straight games was Scott herself who did it twice during her first season in Oxford.
Additionally, the last time an Ole Miss freshman had a 16-plus point performance was when Scott earned 17 against No. 18 Arkansas, on Feb. 19, 2021.
In December, Thienou registered a career-high 23 points against South Alabama, marking the first 20+ performance by a Rebel this season and the most points scored by a SEC freshman that week. Thienou is the first Ole Miss freshman since the 2020-21 season to put up at least 20 points in a single game.
Leading the Rebels with12.2 points per game and seven double-digit scoring performances, Thienou will look to build on her already noteable freshman year in Ole Miss' final non-conference matchup.
TURNOVERS ON TURNOVERS
Ole Miss' defense remains its strung suit, forcing all of its eleven opponents this year to make 18+ turnovers. Additionally, all but one of those teams lost the ball at least 20 times in their matchup with the Rebels.
Ole Miss turned defense into offense all night versus Alabama State, scoring a season-high 42 points off of the Lady Hornet's 33 turnovers.
133 GAMES AND COUNTING...
One of the most acclaimed Rebels in program history has met another milestone marker, as Madison Scott has officially entered the top-10 in most games played at Ole Miss.
Competing in 133 games and counting in a Rebel jersey, the graduate student is just 12 games away from surpassing Peggie Gillom, who played in 144 games, for most at Ole Miss.
Along with Scott, Kennedy Todd-Williams has competed in 133 career games, seeing action in 44 games at Ole Miss and 89 with her past team, North Carolina.
FANTASTIC FIRST FIVE
Showcasing their depth, the Rebels switched up their starting five in the contest against MVSU, opening with Sira Thienou, Kennedy Todd-Williams, Starr Jacobs, Madison Scott and the new addition, Kharyssa Richardson.
This decision by Coach Yo proved to be a successful one as Ole Miss saw all five of its starters reach double-digit scoring. This marked the first time since facing Louisiana on Dec. 12, 2018, that all five Rebel starters reached double figures.
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE REBELS
New season and single-game tickets for the 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball season are on sale now. To purchase or learn more about buying season or single-game tickets for women's basketball, click here or contact the Ole Miss Athletics ticket office.
Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on X at @YolettMcCuin.
TEAM FACTS
No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels (8-3, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 7th Season at Ole Miss (111-87) • 12th Season in Career (205-150)
Alcorn State Lady Braves (2-8, 0-0 SWAC)
Head Coach: Nate Kilbert • 5th Season at Alcorn State (36-80) • 23rd Season in Career (215-426)
ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Will Kollmeyer
Color: Lindsay King
Reporter: Ashton Southern
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty
OLE MISS VS. ALCORN STATE
Monday's matchup will mark the 18th all-time matchup between Ole Miss and Alcorn State in a series that dates to 1980. The Rebels are 16-1 against the Lady Braves, with all their wins coming consecutively. Alcorn State won the first game of the series in 1980, 70-66, but Ole Miss has gone undefeated since then. In total, the Rebels have dropped 90-plus points on the Lady Braves five times in 18 matches.
Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin is 3-0 against the Lady Braves in her tenure in Oxford. Her second win against Alcorn State being the most impressive, as Ole Miss tallied its most recent 100-point performance to date on Dec. 8, 2020. The Rebels won 104-48, which is also the eighth-widest margin of victory in Ole Miss history. It's the highest-scoring game by a Coach Yo led Rebel team. Ole Miss shot 61.54 percent from the field, the second most efficient scoring day in program history, as six players went for double figures.
Last season, Ole Miss claimed a 76-37 victory over Alcorn State in the series' most recent battle. Alcorn State's 37 points were the fewest allowed by Ole Miss last season as the Rebels recorded a team season-high 17 steals. Madison Scott has reached double figures against Alcorn State in both of her games against them.
In the spirit of Ole Miss celebrating 50 years of women's hoops, the Rebels reached a significant milestone against Alcorn State on Feb. 18, 1987. Ole Miss earned an 89-55 victory over Alcorn State, marking the 300th victory in the history of the program. The Rebels have gone on to more than triple that total in the 38 seasons since.
SCOUTING THE LADY BRAVES
Nate Kilbert leads Alcorn State in his fifth year at the helm. The Lady Braves are 2-8 entering Monday's matchup, and have faced three Power Four teams thus far. Ole Miss will mark the third and final opponent from the SEC for Alcorn State this season.
In its two victories, Alcorn State has averaged 88.5 points, including a 106-point performance against Mississippi University for Women. Six players reached double-digit scoring in that game, which featured a 16-point performance from Kailyn Watkins off the bench.
Alcorn State returns nine players from last year's roster, including 6-foot-3 forward Destiny Brown. The senior picked up where she left off in 2023-24, leading the Lady Braves on both ends of the court. Brown averages 11.3 points per game and tops the SWAC in blocks with 2.0 per game. Brown paced Alcorn State last season with 12.6 points per game.
Ashanti Backus runs the point for Alcorn State, where she's dished a team-leading 19 assists. Her 1.9 steals per game is also top-five in the SWAC.
Adams State transfer Sharmanye Finley has the highest shooting percentage for the team. Finley averages 8.7 points in six appearances so far this season while shooting .469 from the field. Maya Hunkin-Claytor is the biggest threat from long distance for Alcorn State, where she's shooting .314 in the first 10 games.
REBELS AGAINST THE SWAC
Ole Miss has historically dominated members of the SWAC, as it possesses a 95-7 record against members of the conference.
The Rebels are 4-0 this season against SWAC opponents entering Monday's contest. Ole Miss has won the last 18 matchups against SWAC opponents. McPhee-McCuin has led the charge in the last 17 wins.
Ole Miss outscored its four opponents by a combined 328-136 and have averaged 82 points per contest.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss earned its eighth 30-plus point margin victory of the season after besting Mississippi Valley State, 78-44, at the SJB Pavilion.
The Rebels saw all five of their starters reach double-digit scoring. This is the first time since facing Louisiana on Dec. 12, 2018, that all five Rebel starters have reached double figures.
Madison Scott highlighted the day for the Rebels as she earned her 29th career double-double. The fifth-year senior had 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Devilettes, marking her first double-double of the 2024-25 season. She joins Starr Jacobs as the only Rebels to achieve that feat so far this season. Scott also led the team with six assists against MVSU. It's the fifth time this season that Scott has paced the Rebels in dime dropping.
IN OUR DEFENSE
It's well known that Ole Miss aims to dictate and disrupt, a goal the Rebel defense has accomplished in the non-conference slate.
Ole Miss has held the No. 1 spot in the nation for fewest points allowed per game since Dec. 15. Holding opponents to just 47.2 points per game, the Rebels will strive to remain the best defensive team in their final contest of 2024.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
True freshman guard Sira Thienou has wasted little time making her mark as an Ole Miss Rebel as the Bamako, Mali, native has been tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week twice this season, on Nov. 26 and Dec. 17. These recognitions mark the first such honors of her young career and the first awards of its type for an Ole Miss player since Madison Scott earned the same accolade six times as a true freshman during the 2020-21 season.
Thienou scored in double figures in three straight outings for the Rebels in November, including consecutive 16-point outbursts against Jackson State (Nov. 18) and Boston College (Nov. 25). The last true freshman to record double-digit scoring efforts in three straight games was Scott herself who did it twice during her first season in Oxford.
Additionally, the last time an Ole Miss freshman had a 16-plus point performance was when Scott earned 17 against No. 18 Arkansas, on Feb. 19, 2021.
In December, Thienou registered a career-high 23 points against South Alabama, marking the first 20+ performance by a Rebel this season and the most points scored by a SEC freshman that week. Thienou is the first Ole Miss freshman since the 2020-21 season to put up at least 20 points in a single game.
Leading the Rebels with12.2 points per game and seven double-digit scoring performances, Thienou will look to build on her already noteable freshman year in Ole Miss' final non-conference matchup.
TURNOVERS ON TURNOVERS
Ole Miss' defense remains its strung suit, forcing all of its eleven opponents this year to make 18+ turnovers. Additionally, all but one of those teams lost the ball at least 20 times in their matchup with the Rebels.
Ole Miss turned defense into offense all night versus Alabama State, scoring a season-high 42 points off of the Lady Hornet's 33 turnovers.
133 GAMES AND COUNTING...
One of the most acclaimed Rebels in program history has met another milestone marker, as Madison Scott has officially entered the top-10 in most games played at Ole Miss.
Competing in 133 games and counting in a Rebel jersey, the graduate student is just 12 games away from surpassing Peggie Gillom, who played in 144 games, for most at Ole Miss.
Along with Scott, Kennedy Todd-Williams has competed in 133 career games, seeing action in 44 games at Ole Miss and 89 with her past team, North Carolina.
FANTASTIC FIRST FIVE
Showcasing their depth, the Rebels switched up their starting five in the contest against MVSU, opening with Sira Thienou, Kennedy Todd-Williams, Starr Jacobs, Madison Scott and the new addition, Kharyssa Richardson.
This decision by Coach Yo proved to be a successful one as Ole Miss saw all five of its starters reach double-digit scoring. This marked the first time since facing Louisiana on Dec. 12, 2018, that all five Rebel starters reached double figures.
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE REBELS
New season and single-game tickets for the 2024-25 Ole Miss basketball season are on sale now. To purchase or learn more about buying season or single-game tickets for women's basketball, click here or contact the Ole Miss Athletics ticket office.
Follow the Rebels on X at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on X at @YolettMcCuin.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballGet to Know: Lauren Jacobs
Monday, September 01
Get to Know: Kaitlin Peterson
Monday, September 01
Get to Know: Jayla Murray
Monday, September 01
Get to Know: Desrae Kyles
Monday, September 01